We set out from Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning and drove through Jordan into Syria.

The lineup at the border crossing was long; once we were done, we drove to the old town of Bosra. This town, about 30 km from the border, is where our friend Zakareya hosted us during the Friendship Arabia Expedition in 2008 on our way to Britain. We met up with him once again, then decided to tour the old town. We hired a guide, Hammam, who showed us around and explained the history of the town.

At around 6 pm we drove to Damascus, the capital of Syria, and checked in at the Dedeman Hotel. We had dinner at one of its restaurants, and the food was excellent.

Syria is one of those countries which you can visit every year and always find lots of new places to see and discover. It is one of most fascinating countries when it comes to history, food, shopping, the weather and not to forget the hospitality of its people. 

Ali Mushaima